| Abstract
| - 1-Arylmethyl-2-(cyanomethyl)aziridines were prepared in high yields from the corresponding 2-(bromomethyl)aziridines upon treatment with potassium cyanide in DMSO. Ring opening of the aziridinemoiety with N-chlorosuccinimide in CCl4 and subsequent treatment of the thus formed 4-chloro-3-(N-chloro-N-(α,α-dichlorobenzyl)amino)butanenitriles with sodium methoxide in methanol resulted in novelmethyl N-(2-chloro-1-(cyanomethyl)ethyl)benzimidates, although in low yields. The latter γ-chloro nitrileswere smoothly converted into methyl N-(2-cyanocyclopropyl)benzimidates as precursors of biologicallyrelevant β-ACC derivatives through a 1,3-cyclization protocol by reaction with potassium tert-butoxidein THF.
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